Menu

A little decorating…

Samhain is quickly approaching, and we’ve done just a little decorating around our home. We have a ton of Samhain/Halloween decorations, and we usually go all out, but this year we wanted to tone it down a little. We had hoped to be in our new house by this time, but things are taking a little longer than we’d planned. It has been an exercise in patience.

You see, for a few years now we have been working with architects who are designing a special house for us. The blueprints so far have looked amazing. The house is Harry Potter inspired, with the outside resembling a Hogsmeade-style building (crooked chimneys, bay windows and all), and the inside resembling the Weasley home. We sent several photos to the architects, and they are designing something for us that looks truly magical. We just have a few credit issues to clear up and then things will start moving along. We hope to be in the house by the end of 2013. We’ve been looking at several pieces of land, trying to find the perfect spot to build. Somewhere outside of town, in a rural area, yet not too terribly far away from work.

As far as decorating is concerned, we’ve just put out a few things this year. I really love the Old World Halloween decorations, so European and magical. I’ll share a few photos with you. We have several more that we may dig out of storage. I also recently arranged my home altar for Samhain, with pictures of my parents (both deceased), a solid black altar cloth, a pumpkin, white skull candle and other ritual items. I’m on the hunt for some new wooden candlesticks for my God/dess candles. I’d used the same candlesticks for years, and I could have sworn they were made of wood until one of them broke, and lo and behold…resin. I prefer not to put anything made of unnatural materials on my altar if I can help it. So many things are made of resin these days, and though they may look and feel like real wood, they are not.

You may have noticed that my blog design changed a few times. I’ve been experimenting with different themes and banners. I like this one, it looks easier to read. I’ve had alot of fun with the website Banner Fans. It allows you to place text on pictures and you can get really creative. And it’s free.

I sent another batch of ritual candles to ARCANA in Salem, Massachussetts, an awesome shop that graciously offered to sell my candles there. I hope to visit there in the near future. We were in Salem in 2007 and I’ve been anxious to return ever since.

At this time of year, we bring out our favorite Halloween movies and music. I really loathe and detest what Halloween seems to have turned into these days, with serial killers and crazed maniacs with chainsaws. So much blood and gore. Our culture has truly been de-sensitized to violence and brutality. This is NOT what Halloween should be about and I am disheartened that so many seem to think so. I miss the old-fashioned Halloween, with ghost stories, haunted houses and things that go bump in the night. Things that are meant to be scary, not make you fear for life and limb.

I celebrate Samhain primarily, but I do enjoy the Halloween festivities too. In case you don‘t know what Samhain is, see my post from 2011 at this link.

At our house, we love films like Sleepy Hollow, Hocus Pocus, and Halloweentown. Another campy favorite is Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. We met Elvira in person several years ago in San Francisco, and she autographed the action figure I have of her. Another great scary movie recently out on DVD now is The Woman In Black, starring Daniel Radcliffe. This is what a scary movie should be. A classic ghost story, and such a great film! If you’re looking for music to help you get into the Halloween mood, I recommend GHOSTS by New Age artist Llewellyn. These are some beautiful, mystical instrumentals based on true ghost stories from the U.K. I love the track “Babes In The Wood” from this disc-I’ve listened to it countless times.

It is likely that I won’t post another entry here until we return from Florida. We are preparing for our 4th trip to the wizarding world. We’ll be there for five days. I will have my Patronus photo taken this time, they are expecting me. I know when we return I shall be re-charged, re-focused and newly inspired.